Some recent sampling - short reviews

I just thought I would post some thoughts on some recent sampling that I have done. Samples came from Aus Liebe zum Duft, whom I have to say were excellent in their service.

Amouage Dia for men
After reading the recent thread about Amouage fragrances, I thought I would give a few more a try. I have Silver Cologne (excellent), and Jubilation XXV men (also excellent, but did not last long enough on my skin) - I was happy to give both Dia for Men and Lyric Man a try. First Dia... I really liked it; there was some similarities (slight) with Silver Cologne, and it's very elegant and I could see wearing this often. Projection is minimal on me, but longevity is more than 4 hours.Frankincense is noted as to be in the top notes, but I could feel it through out. Nice vetiver finish. However, yes, however, the price is just too high. Pity, but I didn't like it enough at that price. I will continue to enjoy Silver Cologne.

Amouage - Lyric Man
Second Amouage. This is quite different than what I had expected. It does have a wonderful rose, and I like this style, however, there was something that didn't work for me. It came on (after some time) to be too thick and cloying to me. Not that it was bad, but just too much "headiness" for me. Maybe the nutmeg? I am not sure. Price is a bit better than Dia, but still quite high. I think I would like to try Homage sometime based on the discussions here, but for Lyric, I will have to pass for right now.

Mazzolari - Ambra
I have never really been afraid to try fragrances designated for women, and particular for Amber, which is one of my favorite notes, but I think in this case, the category is correct. I love Mazzolari Lui, which is probably one of my favorites. Ambra has one note that goes a little sour on my skin, and it seems a little "thin" on the amber.

Maison de la Vanille - Vanille Sauvage de Madagascar EdT
Not bad - I was looking for some vanilla that had some kick to it, but still retained the main vanilla note at the front. You will see the trend continue below. This was interesting, with a woody/floral opening and then the vanilla kicks in. The vanilla is not too sweet either. After a couple hours though, I get only the vanilla, and little else. But at the price point of just near 50 euros, I will be thinking about it.

Patricia de Nicolai - Vanilla Tonka
This didn't work at all for me... The ingredients looked like just what I was searching for:
Mexican vanilla, tonka beans and incense, topped off with tangerines and lime (per the ALZD web site) - but I think the tonka beans are the culprit for me. It took away from the purity of the vanille, and shifted the nose of the fragrance. However I see now that PdN is coming out with Les Magnifiques - Vanille Intense - which I would love to try, but no samples available yet.

Profumum - Fiore d'Ambra
I really like it. Warm amber, slightly sweet, yet dry on the back of the throat when you breath it deeply. Hints of spices, perhaps one would think of orient. I would guess you could call it more feminine, but I could easily enjoy this. Price is a bit high, and I think I prefer Mazzolari Lui over this (which is more to the point for me). Still, this would be nice for those relaxing weekends when you want to just relax. I think it's what I feel when wearing this... some peaceful calmness but with a promise of more exciting things to come!

Micallef - Vanille Aoud
A big surprise! I hadn't seen this before, and decided to give it a try. The aoud balances the vanilla nicely, and as the advert says, there is some ylang-ylang and prune (though I didn't guess that it was prune!) that seems to keep the harshness of aoud down, while letting the vanilla come through as not too sweet. Compared to the Vanille Sauvage de Madagascar, Vanilla Aoud kept it complex and interesting throughout. I think this will be a future purchase. Vanilla lovers should give this a try!